Improvement in links of endless chains for horse-powers



A. W. GRAY. Links of Endless Chains for Horse-Powers. No, 141,268,Patentedluly 29,1873.

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UNITED STATES ALBERT w. GRAY, OF MIDDLETOWN, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR ToLEONIDASY PATENT ()EEIoE GRAY, ALBERT Y. GRAY, AND ALBERT W. GRAY, OFSAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN LINKS OF ENDLESS CHAINS FOR HORSE-POWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,268, dated July29,1873; application filed February 26, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT W. GRAY, of Middletown, in Rutland county, inthe State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Links of Endless Chains for Horse-Power and other like chines; andthat others skilled in the art may make and use my invention I make thisfull,

true, and exact description thereof, and of the mode of itsconstruction, reference being had to the annexed drawing and thelettersof reference thereon.

The drawing is a view, partly in perspective, of my improved link withthe bottom thereof up, and showing, by dotted lines, the tread or way towhich it is fastened for use.

Links in the endless chain of horse-power and other like machines haveheretofore been constructed in the general form represented in thedrawing; but experience derived from use has developed material defectsin their construction as not being adequately strong in the direction oftheir longitudinal strain when in use, but also in the provision ofconvenient means by which to fas en them to the respective ends of theseveral pieces of plank constituting the tread or way of the machine;and my invention, therefore, is of improvements by which to remedy thesedefects.

In describing its construction, I remark that the letters a to representthe series of cogs on the links of the chain which in use work thepinion that exerts the power of the machine; and the letter 11represents portions of the bar of metal of which the cogs are formedturned back against the reverse side of the cogs, where they meet andlap one over the other for the distance of about half an inch, wherethey are perforated for a rivet; and the letter 0 represents anotherpiece of metal of about the width and thickness of that from which thecogs are made, one end whereof is placed flush with the outer side ofthe link; and it extends across and against the bar I), where the endsthereof meet and lap, and being perforated for a rivet it is firmlyriveted through said ends to them; and the other end thereof extendsinwardly an inch or more beyond the inner side of the link, and isperforated for a large screw by which to fasten it to the tread of themachine. The letter (1 indicates anotherbar of metal of about the widthand thickness of that from which the cogs are formed; and from this Iconstruct what I call the cap of the link, and after having bent it atnearly right angles near each end I further bend the bent ends down soas to make them fit against the form of the bar b 011 the reverse sideof the cogs near either end thereof, and leave a space between the endsso bent down and the longitudinal part of the cap or bar d of about oneand a half inch, and the ends so bent down extend along on the bar I)about one inch, where they are firmly riveted through a depressionbetween the cogs at a a and the bar I), and thereby a mortise, e, isformed for the reception of'the ends of the planks which are to form thetread or way of the machine; and it will be obvious that the ends of thebar 61 so bent down will occupy spaces in said mortise similar inthickness and on the same side thereof that is occupied by thecross-piece c; and as a means of further strengthening the links ofhorse-power and other like machines against longitudinal strains attheir weakest point, and where experience has shown they require it, andat the same time of strengthening the link in other respects and makingit more durable in service, I insert a stud, f, in cross-section of thelink, made of a short piece of thin flat bar-iron formed with a rivet oneach end into a rivet-hole made about midway of the link through adepression between two of the cogs and the bar b, and in a rivethole inthe cap [I exactly opposite to the rivethole in the bar I), and I firmlyrivet it at both ends, and thereby protect the link in its middle part,where it is always weakest from the longitudinal strains always exertedon the links of horse-power chains when the machine is in use, and alsostrengthen the link for gen eral service.

WVhen the links in the chain of horse-power and other like machines areconstructed with the improvements indicated in this case the pieces ofplank used for the tread or way of such machines may be re-supplied tothose partly worn, and be securely fastened in position by persons whoare unfamiliar with the construction of the machines by simply sawingthe pieces of suitable lengths and inserting their ends in the mortises,and fastening them by a strong screw driven into them through thescrew-hole in the cross-piece 0, whereby the necessity for and theexpense and delay of sending the machine back to the factory for thatpurpose will be avoided.

As the question of the manner of using the links of the endless chain ofhorse-power machines does not arise on consideration of their improvedconstruction, I omit any statement thereof; but

What I claim as new, and for which I seek Letters Patent, is-

1. The cross-piece c in a link in the endless chain of horse-power andother like machines, in combination with the cog-work and cap of suchlinks, for the uses and purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the cogs a a with the cap d, the cross-piece c,and the stud f, for the uses and purposes set forth.

Witnesses: ALBERT W. GRAY.

A. A. GREENE, A. Y. GRAY.

